A Garland, Tex., man has been found guilty of murder and other charges in Washington Circuit Court stemming from a Kentucky State Police (KSP) investigation of the murder of Thomas Ray Pendygraft that occurred in Washington County 10 years ago.

On the morning of Aug. 1, 2014, KSP Post 15 in Columbia received a call from the Washington County 911 Center. The Washington County Sheriff s Office requested investigative assistance after finding a dead body inside a burned 2009 Dodge Caliber at the Springfield water reservoir on Booker Road.  KSP Troopers and Detectives responded and later learned the victim discovered in the vehicle was Thomas Ray Pendygraft, age 20, of Springfield.

The information obtained throughout an extensive investigation led KSP Detectives to present the findings to the Washington County Grand Jury, which led to the indictment of Jonathan D. Puckett in April 2023.

KSP Detective Nick Davis and Sergeant Billy Gregory traveled to Garland, Texas, and through a collective effort with the Dallas Probation & Parole office and Garland Police Department, arrested Puckett on April 26, 2023.

The case proceeded to a jury trial in Washington County Circuit Court where Jonathan Puckett was found guilty and sentenced to life plus 20 years in prison for the following charges: Murder, arson, tampering with physical evidence, and with being a persistent felony offender.